Minnesota Twins Japanese pitcher leaves a note in the dugout, skips the game on superstition

The Minnesota Twins are off to a great start to their 2022 season. The Twins are currently in first place in the American League Central with a record of 12-9. The team has a three-game lead over the second-placed Cleveland Guardians.

The Minnesota Twins pitching staff has been among the best in baseball, with a 3.16 team ERA, which ranks second in the American League. Going into Friday night's contest against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Twins had won seven games in a row. The team would lose that night by a score of 6-1.

Minnesota Twins pitcher Kenta Maeda is currently recovering from Tommy John Surgery and decided to make the trip from the Twins Spring Training complex in Fort Myers, Florida, to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, about a two-hour drive.

Maeda made the trip on Friday to see his teammates, whom he dearly misses, during his time of recovery.

"Kenta Maeda is rehabbing in Fort Myers and came to watch his Twins teammates from the dugout yesterday in Tampa Bay. The Twins lost, ending a 7-game winning streak. He is not at today's game, but he left this note behind." - @Talkin' Baseball

"I'm sorry for snapping the winning streak. I will not be in the dugout today"- Kenta Maeda

Maeda decided that after the team lost on Friday, it would be best if he did not stay with the team for the rest of the weekend out of superstition that he brought the team bad luck.

"Kenta Maeda says he stayed in the clubhouse for the first few innings of yesterday's game and then went back to the hotel for the ending. He'll leave again today. '(My teammates) all thanked me. Never heard anyone say thank you for not showing up to the game (before).'" - @ Do-Hyoung Park

While Kenta Maeda's presence in the Twins dugout was not the reason the team lost on Friday night, Maeda made the decision out of respect for the team.

Minnesota Twins injury updates

The Minnesota Twins injury report for today can be seen below.

Player Name	Injury	Estimated Return
Miguel Sano	Left Knee Soreness	Day to Day
Bailey Ober	Right Groin Strain	Mid-May
Sonny Gray	Right Hamstring Tightness	Early May
Alex Kirilloff	Wrist Soreness	Early May
Kenta Maeda	Tommy John Surgery	September
Jorge Alcala	Right Elbow Inflammation	Mid-June
Randy Dobnak	Right Middle Finger Strain	June

Miguel Sano recently injured his knee and is expected to be day-to-day. Starting pitchers Sonny Gray and Bailey Ober are both sidelined with injuries but are expected to return fairly soon.

Kenta Maeda will likely return towards the end of the season in September. If the Twins can keep their winning ways going, Maeda would be a huge addition for a late playoff push.